1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to pump devices and more particularly, to pump devices sealed with a pouch and utilizing a bellow mechanism for operating a pump device.
2. State of the Art
The personal and beauty care markets utilize a wide variety of different pump mechanisms and devices for delivering fluid-based products to a user. The pump devices include traditional pumps using ball valves or flap valves. Unique pump devices are also being developed to increase aesthetic value of the pump device or to provide new or improved functionality to the pump device or overall product package.
Typically, pumps or pump devices are connected to a bottle or other container holding a product. The product may be a fluid or a fluid mixed with solids or gases. The pump is used to deliver the product from the container to a user. In some instances, the container is a bottle and in other instances, the container may be a bag, a pouch, or a tube. In any event, it is often desirable that the pump evacuate most of the product from the container.
In those instances where a pump is attached to a pouch, the pump may be attached to the pouch by spout (also sometimes called a “canoe”) or other attachment device which is sealed to the pouch and which typically provides a mating mechanism by which the pump may mate with the canoe to open a fluid pathway between a pouch and the pump mechanism. The use of canoe or canoe shaped devices with pouches is well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,850,044 describes a spout that may be welded into a pouch and then fitted with a pump or other delivery device for delivering fluid from within a pouch to the atmosphere.
While many different pump devices and spouts exist, the desire for new pump devices and spouts to improve aesthetics or functionality or to reduce costs associated with producing and assembling pumps with pouches, exists. Therefore, it may be desirable to develop new pump devices and connectors to pouches having fewer parts which are capable of meeting the desired specifications and requirements for delivering particular products.